


Sataareth Kadan: That Which Upholds the Heart

by catadamon



Series: Two Parts of the Same Whole [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Newborn Children, No Plot/Plotless, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catadamon/pseuds/catadamon
Summary: The Iron Bull has a quiet a moment alone to get to know his daughter.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Iron Bull, The Iron Bull/Female Lavellan (Dragon Age)
Series: Two Parts of the Same Whole [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2186100
Kudos: 15





	Sataareth Kadan: That Which Upholds the Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IreneProctor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneProctor/gifts).



> Recommended BGM: Sleeping At Last - _September 15, 2017: Cassini - The Grand Finale_.

While Bull had expected the birth of a baby to be a chaotic event, what he hadn't expected was the chaos after the kid was actually born. 

It seemed that there was no end in sight for the visitors that came to see his Kadan and the new baby. Liadan, having perfect timing, went into labor at her own damn baby shower— meaning that all of their friends visiting for the party, just stayed for the baby. 

Although Bull considered their bedroom in the guest wing pretty big, with all of their guests, it seemed a lot less so. Hawke, Fenris, Cassandra, Josephine, Aveline, Dagna, and even the Viscount himself each wanted a turn holding the kid. Even Sera seemed a bit curious, (but refused to hold the baby for longer than a few seconds— "Way too many wiggly wiggles" she'd said). 

Of course, every time Bull held the kid, she started crying. He didn't take it personally, as the kid was doing a _lot_ of crying, understandably. A day ago she'd been in this warm secure place by herself, and now she was surrounded by strange faces all cooing over her.

The kid adored his Kadan though. Every time the kid started crying, she was handed off to Liadan, who— somehow, even after being up for practically two days straight— would take the tiny bundle in her arms, and immediately the kid would settle down. Everytime, Liadan's face lit up like the sun. He couldn't help but smile too. They'd been together for a while now, but Bull had never seen his Kadan so happy (even after that one time with the chandelier). 

That was more than enough for Bull. 

But even the Herald of Andraste needed to sleep at some point. And with the kid wailing her little heart out every few hours wanting to be fed, the task seemed near impossible. After a few hours, and many subtle hints (and not so subtle) to their visitors, Bull put his foot down and told everyone to leave so Liadan could sleep. 

By then it was late in the afternoon, and the kid was on her eighth feeding for the day. Both Liadan and the kid were starting to doze with similar expressions on their face. The kid was born with a big tuft of black hair that had a mind of its own— no matter how much they had tried to make it lay flat, it stuck up at a weird angle. Liadan's hair was in a similar state. 

Smirking at the scene before him, Bull gave Liadan a gentle shake on her shoulder. "Kadan," he said, keeping his voice soft. "Let me take her for a bit. Get some sleep."

Liadan's response was a long, inaudible, grumble, that he could only assume meant "Sure, Vhenan. Take care of our darling daughter while I listen to you and finally get some sleep after being awake for nearly two days." 

With a bit of maneuvering, Bull got the kid safely tucked into the crook of his elbow, while helping get his Kadan lay down in a comfortable position. Before he could even ask if she needed anything, Liadan was already asleep. 

He looked down to the kid, hoping she wasn't going to start crying again now that he was holding her. Her eyes were heavy, but she seemed determined to focus on Bull's face. 

He let out a soft laugh. "You should sleep too," he whispered, as he gently tapped her nose. 

The kid's eyes focused on his finger instead, while her tiny right hand tried to get a hold of it. She missed, but that didn't stop her from trying a few more times, calling out with her tiny voice as she did so. 

Worried that she'd wake up Liadan, Bull moved out of the room as quietly as he possibly could. He began pacing the hallway, gently rocking the kid, but she was having none of it. She squirmed and wiggled, making unhappy grunts as she kicked his hand. The sounds she was making sounded dangerously like the start to another crying fit. And even though he was far enough away that it shouldn't have disturbed his Kadan's nap, he knew that she'd somehow hear the baby crying and come running.

"Hey now, none of that," he said. Bull brought the kid's head up to his shoulder, and leaned her against him. She snuggled her tiny face just under his collarbone, and seemed to quiet down a little. Bull had paid close attention to how Hawke and Fenris had been holding her earlier in the day— he made sure he was supporting her bottom, while gently patting her back with his other hand as he walked back and forth. 

Before long, the kid let out a quiet burp, followed by another gurgle, before snuggling her head against his shoulder again. 

Chuckling, Bull said, "Definitely take after me in that department." He cupped the back of her head in his hand, making her wild tuft of black hair all the more messed up. She scrunched up her face and made another unhappy sound. For a dread moment, Bull thought the kid was going to start crying again, but her face relaxed as she let out a kind of sigh, and then pushed the side of her cheek against his skin. 

The dramatics were from her mother, no doubt about it.

The kid's eyelids were halfway closed, but she seemed content to stare at his face with her grey eyes. A smile pulled at his lips as he watched her eyelids slowly drop.

He still couldn't get over just how tiny she was. True, she was a couple of weeks early, but considering how big his Kadan had gotten in the last month, he'd expected the kid to be massive— not this tiny bundle that was barely bigger than his hand. Since the Tamassran kept the newborn Qunari sequestered until they were of walking age, he had no idea if she was a normal size or not (and he was _really_ trying not to worry about it, but at the same time, he wished he'd made more of an effort to find out about these things when he was younger). 

Also, it was hard to really tell who the kid looked like more. According to Hawke, even her grey-ish pink skin would change quickly in the next few days. The kid's tiny ears were pointed, but they looked more like pink flower pedals than Qunari or Elf ears, so there were no clues there. And her smooshed nose and big eyes could've been from either one of them. 

But there were two undeniable tiny bumps at the top of her forehead, where horns would eventually grow— so either his Kadan was right, and her Elven traits _were_ recessive, or the kid was going to be one weird looking elf with Qunari horns. 

It didn't matter either way. To Bull, she was perfect. 

Since she'd come early, he and his Kadan had yet to decide on a name. Liadan was going back and forth on a list of Elven names, each of them with five different meanings and submeanings. Bull had listened to them all, repeatedly, but none of them really stood out. He'd told Liadan that they would know when the kid was born. 

Now she was here and well... she still didn't have a name.

"What do you think of Hissera?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet. The kid grunted, and jerked in her sleep. "Yeah, me neither." It had a nice ring to it, but Sera would read into it and never let him hear the end of it. "How about Asala?" She made another disapproving sound. Bull quietly chuckled. "Look, if you're going to be judgy—"

"I see you two are getting along." Bull looked up from the baby to see a smiling Hawke coming down the guest wing hallway with a small pile of blankets in her hands. "I was coming to give the new mother a bit of a rest, but it looks like you've got things in hand."

"Right now, at least."

Nodding, Hawke walked over to Bull's side. "Is Liadan asleep?"

"Gone before her head even hit the pillow," he said with a quiet snort. "Surprised she lasted this long."

Hawke smirked. "You'd be surprised how long new mothers can last without sleep. Not that I recommend it. Eventually it catches up to you. Why don't you get some rest as well? I can take the baby for a bit."

"I'm good," Bull said, shaking his head. "Years of merc work with long shifts of keeping watch. I can go for at least another few hours before I need sleep."

Humming, she gave him a knowing look. "Well, if you are going to stay out here... it's a bit chilly. Why don't I show you how to swaddle her?"

"Uh—" Bull glanced nervously at the kid. _Crap._ Her tiny body was like a hot coal on his skin— he hadn't even considered that she'd be cold. "What if she wakes up?"

"If she wakes up, she'll fall back asleep in a few minutes," Hawke said with a dismissive wave. "It's better that she's warm and comfortable. Come on—"

She nodded towards a table a little bit further down the hallway. Hawke put the pile of blankets she was carrying on the floor beside the table. She then cleared the decorative plants off of the hallway table. Once the tabletop was empty, she took the blanket from the top of the pile and spread it out like a diamond. "So first, you want to fold the top down like so," she said, folding the top part of the blanket about a third of the way down. "Then, put her down in the center, so her shoulders line up to the top of the fold."

Bull looked down to the kid, and then again at the blanket. "And you're sure the kid's not going to wake up?"

"It will be _fine_ , Bull. Be gentle and move slow."

Holding his breath, he shifted her off his shoulder, and into a lying position— with one hand supporting her head, while the other held her tiny body. The kid's face scrunched up again. She murmured a little, but her eyes stayed shut. He let out a relieved breath as his shoulders relaxed. Slowly, he brought the kid down, and put her on the blanket where Hawke had indicated. 

His arms were glad of the break from holding the kid, but they also felt incredibly empty without her in them.

"Perfect," Hawke said, with a smirk pulling at her lips as she watched. It was obvious she was barely containing the laughter bubbling in her. Bull decided he'd let her have this one, since she was doing him a favor (not to mention somewhere in the back of his head, he was shaking his head at himself over how nervous he was). 

But only this once. 

It took a few tries to swaddle her properly, and the kid definitely woke up while he was trying to get the last part of the blanket tucked around her. The kid's nose twitched as her serene expression quickly turned incredibly unhappy. " _Crap_ ," Bull said under his breath as he tucked the blanket around her.

"It's alright," Hawke said, nodding. "Now, pick her up. Make sure to support her head."

"I got it," Bull grumbled as he lifted her up. He'd heard the advice at least fifty times now. Bull was well aware how weak the kid's neck was. 

Chuckling, Hawke shook her head. "I can see that. You've been paying attention." 

"I'm _always_ paying attention."

The kid's face scrunched up again, as he put her head on the crook of her elbow. She gave his arm another disapproving kick. 

Clearly, the kid didn't like being held like that (by him at least). He brought her back up to his shoulder, letting her head rest under his collarbone again, and moved his hips back and forth to rock her. She quickly relaxed, and let out a little small huff that sounded a little too much like a sound of gratitude. But that was probably him overthinking it. Raising an eyebrow at Hawke, he smirked. "See?"

Grinning, Hawke nodded. "I definitely see that she's already got you wrapped around her tiny fingers. Fenris was the same way when Euphemia was born. Although he was far more... hmmm... " Pursing her lips, she looked up to the ceiling as she searched for the word. "Worried? He was terrified he'd break her somehow."

"Break Effie? _How?_ " Bull snorted. "That kid could knock _me_ over."

"It's the Ferelden stock," Hawke said, with a nod. "But when Euphemia was born, she was this little bundle— well, not as little as _your_ bundle," she said, waving to the kid. Hawke sighed as she tugged at the top of the kid's blanket. "Maker, I can't get over how tiny she is."

"I know, right? With all the noise Liadan was making, I was expecting the kid to be the size of a snoufleur— not smaller than a baby nug."

"All things considered, I doubt she'll stay small for long," Hawke said, giving Bull a pat on the shoulder. "Babies never do." She leaned over and picked the pile of blankets she'd been carrying before nodding to the bedroom door. "I'll slip in and put these in your room. You can never have enough blankets and cloths around with a newborn, trust me."

Bull nodded and turned his attention back to the kid in his arms. She had resumed her previous position, face squished to the side, facing him, her eyes blissfully closed. 

He tilted his head forward, so his chin was pressing up against the top of her head. For a few moments, he just listened to the kid breathe in and out. It still didn't seem real. He was a father. This little bundle was half of him, half of Liadan. Just like their necklace. 

No matter what the future held, there would always be a part of him and a part of her, together. Forever.

As Hawke left the room, she nodded to Bull. "Fenris is going to take Euphemia home for the night. She's a bit wound up from all of the excitement. I've already spoken to Varric about staying the night here to help with Liadan and the baby. So if you need anything—"

The woman had already done enough, really. She was the one in the room who had the cool head while Liadan was having contractions. She was the one who had helped bring their daughter into the world. Shit, she was the one who kept Liadan safe those months while he was gone. 

And yet still, the Champion was still offering her help.

"Thanks, Hawke... for everything. You've been there whenever Liadan needed you and— just— thanks."

A warm smile formed on her lips as she nodded. "You're welcome, Iron Bull."

\---

Less than two hours later, the kid was wailing again. And no matter how much Bull tried to rock, shoosh, or settle her, she would not stop. There was only one thing left to try. Guiltily, Bull peeked into their room. Liadan was lying in the bed, her eyes half closed. At the sound of the door opening, her head turned and she reached out with her good arm.

"I kept her entertained as long as I could," Bull said apologetically. He walked over to her side of the bed. 

"I appreciate it, Vhenan." Liadan groaned as she slowly lifted her upper body off the bed. Yawning, she pulled the loose muslin gown she was wearing over her shoulder, exposing her right breast. 

Smirking, Bull took a seat beside her on the bed. "Hmmm... That _is_ a nice way to show your appreciation, Kadan— but I think we should feed the kid first."

Liadan rolled her eyes, but there was a grin pulling at the side of her mouth. Bull helped Liadan get situated, moving pillows around, helping her sit up, and putting a few pillows under her arms for support. 

Blinking at him, she asked, "Did you... swaddle her?"

"Yeah," Bull said, giving her a nervous glance. "Was I not supposed to?"

"No, it's—" She shook her head. "It's good. But she likes to be skin to skin when she's feeding."

"Ah," Bull said, putting the kid on top of the pillows on Liadan's lap. He unwrapped the first part of the blanket around the kid. "Got it." As he got the blanket unwrapped completely, the kid's arms shot up. Her crying got even louder as her arms started to flail around. "Alright, alright. Hang on, kid."

It was still a bit of trial and error with Liadan's missing hand, made all the worse with the kid's frantic crying, but eventually they found an arrangement that was comfortable for both baby and mother. 

Her crying stopped immediately. The kid latched onto Liadan's breast so quickly, Bull was impressed. Only a day old, but she already understood what meal time was, and how it worked. 

Snickering, Liadan glanced up at Bull, her eyes shining mischievously. "Definitely your daughter."

"Damn right." Leaning back on the pillows behind Liadan and putting his arm around her, Bull brought her in close. He pressed a kiss to the side of Liadan's head. "Did you manage to get any sleep?"

"A little," Liadan said, leaning into him. "My whole body is so sore, and I'm beyond exhausted at this point." She looked down at the baby in her arms, smiling. "But I think she was worth it."

"Yeah." Bull gave her another kiss on the side of her head. "I'm pretty attached to her too." He brought his free arm around Liadan's, and let his thumb brush through the kid's wild tuft of hair. 

The three sat there for a few moments, the only noise coming from the kid's suckling. 

"Tried to work out some names while you slept."

"Oh?" Liadan looked up at Bull. 

"Yeah... I ran them by the kid. She didn't like any of them."

Liadan's entire body shook as she laughed— so much so, the kid let out a grunt from having her meal disturbed, only causing her to laugh harder and Bull to laugh along with her. When the giggles died down, Liadan said, "Perhaps we should find something she does like." She looked down to the baby, and hummed. "How about El'ghilana?"

Snorting, Bull brought his Kadan in closer. "You _are_ kidding, right?"

"What?" Liadan frowned at him. "It means ‘guiding light.'"

And at least a few dozen other things, he'd be willing to bet. "It's a mouthful, Kadan," he said teasingly. The pout Liadan made was so adorable, Bull couldn't help but chuckle. He pressed another kiss to her temple. "How about _Ataashi_?"

His Kadan let out a long sigh. " _Vhenan_ ," she said, her voice a bit impatient. "If I wasn't going to go along with Iron Calf, what makes you think I would go along with naming her ‘dragon'?" 

"What? I thought you'd like it." Bull said, feigning hurt. "It's got a double meaning and everything. Besides, she's glorious, right?"

Pressing her lips together, Liadan raised an eyebrow at him. 

" _Alright_ , fine. Angharad."

Liadan shook her head. "Talk about a mouthful. Ta'hana?"

"You keep leaning into the Elven names, Kadan... If she ends up looking more Qunari, there's going to be a lot of questions. What about Sataa?"

"Mirthadra," she countered.

Bull opened his mouth to counter with another name, but actually... Mirthadra wasn't too bad— it was still a mouthful, but Bull would shorten it anyway. Bull pressed his lips together. "Hmmm... I like the _mir_ sound of it... Got anything that sounds similar?"

She pressed her lips together in thought. "Mirela?"

"Mirela," Bull repeated, gently brushing his thumb against the kid's chubby cheek. "What do you think, kid?" Of course, she didn't answer. Instead, she attempted to grab Bull's thumb. But it was a better reaction to the names he tried earlier. After a second try, she managed to grasp his thumb and held it in a tight grip. "I guess that means she likes it." He gently curled his massive hand around the kid's, a smile pulling at his lips. 

Something pulled in Bull's chest then. A feeling that he had no word to describe, in Common or Qunlat. It was a mix between pure adoration, pride, and a hope he'd never felt before. 

"Well, _Mirela_ ," Bull said, his throat suddenly tight. "Good to finally meet you."

Liadan leaned her head against his, eyes wet. Looking down at the kid, she said, "Ma Da'Mirela." She looked back up at Bull, and kissed him on the lips. They were salty from the tears, but Bull couldn't bring himself to tease her— the storm of emotions on her face told him everything he needed to know. " _Vhenan..._." she said, her voice cracking.

"Yeah," he said softly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I love you too, Kadan," he said, bringing her in for another, deeper, kiss.

However, between them, there was a cry of protest from the kid as she pulled away from Liadan's breast. She was clearly not happy with her food source moving around so much. Her eyes twinkling, his Kadan made a sound that was half laugh, half sob. She looked between him and the kid, tears rolling down her face, but smiling brightly. 

"Sorry, Miri," Bull said, chuckling. "Didn't mean to interrupt your meal." 

_Fin_

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah— I'm not dead. I hope you enjoyed this pile of fluff as much as I had writing it. I may have cavities now from how sweet it is, but it was totally worth it. 
> 
> I am still working on the Bull/Lavellan _long_ fic that I mentioned at the end of _On the Moonlit Floor_ , it's just been _a journey_. The fic is currently running over 120K and is currently on its fifth (and hopefully final) draft. It's my hope to start posting it by the end of March/early April. Technically, this oneshot is a epilogue for it, however, since there are no real story spoilers in this, other than there is a _baby_ , I decided to go ahead and post it. 
> 
> So many thanks go to [Scribblestuff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribblestuff/pseuds/Scribblestuff) and [Moonlight_Heretic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonLight_Heretic/pseuds/MoonLight_Heretic) for helping me when I was worried it wasn't working, and assuring me that yes, _all of the fluff_. Extra shout out to Scribblestuff who was very patient with all of my newborn questions. Love y'all!


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